The Next One
by Princess Alexis
Summary: This is the new, revised, completly different version to the original 'The Next One'. sequal to 'The Sibling'. Set during and after the battle where Rachel dies...If you have a better name, let me know. rated M to be safe...chapter 3 up.
1. Chapter 1

**The Next One**

_HEY!! I'm still alive. I'm attempting to fix this up, I don't know how well I'm going to go with that but I'm trying…all feedback and ideas are welcome and considered. I NEED IDEAS!!! Give me lots. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it more than the last one._

_Princess Alexis_

_Xoxo_

**Chapter 1**

**Arianna's P.O.V **

I watched as Jake ordered Rachel to kill his brother, Tom. He ordered her to kill her own cousin and she did exactly as he said. She attacked. Rachel in her bear morph versus Tom and all his little evil yeerk minions in various other forms.

The Animorphs didn't even know I was here. They had branded me a traitor, saying that I willingly went over to the yeerks. As if. Even though they knew what the yeerks were capable of, they still kicked me out. Ever since then I had watched and followed, waiting for a time when they would need me. A time like now.

I quickly morphed my white tiger morph and joined the battle with Rachel. I caught a glimpse of the other Animorphs on the screen attached to the wall. Shocked, horrified and scared. I turned my attention to the battle at hand, the yeerks were coming at me from all directions and from the sounds of things they were giving Rachel a run for her money.

(Rachel?)

(I'm a little busy at the moment Arianna.)

(The wall is about 4 meters behind you. Keep moving backwards until your against the wall, I'll keep them off your back, when we get there I'll move to your left and cover you the left, you cover the right. If we start going down the door is about 2 meters to your right so you can make a quick escape.) I explained very quickly, trying to keep various animals off of me and Rachel.

(It's not much of a plan but it's all we've got. LET'S DO IT) Rachel responded screaming the last three words out in open thought-speak.

We slowly moved back against the wall and I move to Rachel's left. We fought furiously and soon the numbers had dwindled down to two on two. Rachel and I against Tom and very mean looking polar bear.

(Tom's mine) Rachel growled.

(Okay, I'll take the big guy. I'm here if you need me.)

(Likewise.)

We fought some more until Tom and his polar bear friend had the manners to die. Tom in his snake morph was flattened, literally and the big mean looking polar bear wasn't so mean looking when he was bleeding profusely in several places and missing a limb.

Rachel looked at me, (We did it, thanks Rhi.)

(No problem. I think a victory dance is needed right about now.)

We both stood on our hind legs and put our front paws on each other shoulders and proceeded to do the strangest victory dance, which involved a lot of attempted jumping, roaring and laughing. We finished our short-lived victory dance and Rachel demorphed and started heading back towards the other Animorphs.

(See you around, I guess.)

"Come back with us Arianna"

(It's too soon. Jake still hasn't forgiven me yet, most of them haven't. I don't even know if you have, but I don't blame you guys. I still hate myself for it.)

"I don't hate _you _for it. It's not your fault. The yeerk did it, you had no control. Come back."

(I'll see you around,) I repeated before walking away.

_Okay…that was… I don't know how it was… How was it?? Please pretty please with strawberries on top review. Feel free to tell me its crap…ideas very welcome. I hope someone out there liked it._

_The more reviews the more incentive I have to continue…_

_Love Princess Alexis… xoxo_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_Hello! This is the second chapter of The Next One. Yes it's a little short but I hope to put chapter three up at the same time, maybe a little later. I promise that chapter three is longer. I'll make it at least 1000 words. How does that sound? Anyway, on with the story, enjoy._

_Love Princess Alexis_

_xxx_

Rachel's POV

I watched Arianna walk off and then returned to Jake, Marco, Ax and Tobias.

"Are you okay?" Tobias asked, human for once.

I smiled, "Exhausted, but other than that I'm fine."

(Rachel, was that Arianna down there with you?)

"Yes Ax that was Arianna."

"And she fought along side you, not against you?" Jake asked sceptically.

"Yeah she did Jake; she's been free for a while now. You should have let her come back. You of all people should know what the yeerks are capable of doing. She had no control. It's not her fault that Cassie's dead. Hating Arianna isn't going to bring Cassie back, I've realised that, now it's your turn."

"But are you sure she's free?" Tobias asked.

"She is. You saw her down there. She fought alongside me. If it wasn't for Arianna, I would be dead and all the yeerks would still be alive, possibly be on their way to find you guys and kill you to. She's free Tobias. She's your sister, you have to forgive her. You can't all keep holding Arianna responsible for something she had not control over."

Everyone was silent. Marco hadn't spoken a word since my return; I think he was still in shock. His little ex-girlfriend was back on the scene, and on our side. Even though that battle was hopefully the last, the sides still remained.

"Did you speak to her at all?" Marco asked.

"Yeah. She was telling em what to do down there. She saved my ass. We had a little bit of a chat on the way back here."

"Did she want to come back?"

"No Tobias. She refused to come with em. She won't come back because you all hate her for something she was forced to do," I replied getting worked up, "I told her to come back with me but she won't because you all blame her for Cassie's death and not the yeerk."

Jake ignored my comment, "Let's get back. It's all over now. We've won."

_Did you like it?? Pretty please review. _

_Love Princess Alexis_

_xxx_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

About a year later, Arianna's POV

Walking around a shopping centre, completely absorbed in my own little, fictional world. Well at least was until I quite literally ran into someone coming from the direction I was headed.

"I'm sorr…" I began as I looked up and saw who I'd just run into.

"It's alright, I should have been wat…" he started before tearing his eyes away form the ground to meet mine. We looked at each other in silence before turning away, some what embarrassed.

"Umm…I'm just gunna…go," I concluded lamely before turning to leave.

"No, Arianna, umm, I want to talk to you about something. Do you want to, umm, maybe come back to my place so we can talk?" he asked.

I turned to face him again, "As in now?"

He nodded and led me to where he had parked his car. On the journey to his house, we barely spoke, each of us thinking about the last time we had seen each other and the time we had to make up for. When we arrived at our destination, we sat comfortably on the couch before he spoke.

"Rhi, I'm sorry."

"What for? You didn't do anything wrong."

"Everything. I knew it wasn't your fault that Cassie died but we all had to blame someone and it was easier to blame you because you were yeerked at the time. That's the only reason I blamed you, I didn't mean to though, I should have apologised earlier. I also want to thank you for helping Rachel; you saved her along with the rest of the planet. I should have got you to come back then, I should have went after you and bought you back for all of us. We've missed you Rhi."

"I blamed myself as well so there was no harm in you blaming me as well."

"But I should have known better. I'd been fighting the yeerks for however many years and I knew what they were capable of but I still blamed you for something you had no control over. I'm sorry."

I laughed, "I've kind of realised your sorry, you've told me like a hundred times now."

He ventured a small smile, "That just means I'm really sorry. I should probably call the others and tell them to come over. Rachel will be so happy to see you. We'll surprise them."

I laughed again, "If you must."

Fifteen minutes later, after he was off the phone to the other Animorphs, he returned to the couch.

"They should be here soon, they're flying and they have no idea that you're here."

Sure enough, not long later, the doorbell rang. I was led to another room to wait until everyone had arrived. The door opened again a few minutes later.

"You ready?" he asked me.

"As ready as I'll ever be Jake."

We walked into the lounge room and I was greeted by clapping and cheering, accompanied by a very un-Rachel like squeal.

"Rhi's back!" Rachel yelled before running over and hugging me tightly, "I've missed you so much!"

"I missed you too Rach."

Tobias was next to greet me, after disentangling Rachel and I, he hugged me and kissed my cheek.

"It's been a while baby sister," He said, "A long while. I've been so worried about you since the last battle; I thought I wouldn't see you again."  
"You didn't look too hard Toby, I've been around."

Tobias kissed my check again before letting Ax through.

"Uncle Ax!" I greeted, wrapping my arms around his human morph, "I've missed you and your smartness."

"I missed you too Arianna."

"You learnt how to talk properly, without playing with your words! I'm so proud."

"Thank-you," he responded before moving over to talk to Jake.

As Ax left Marco came over and hugged me like he was never going to let go, eventually, he did though.

"Rhi, I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too," I replied quietly.

"I'm so glad you're back. Rachel told us how you said you weren't coming back because it was too soon and my heart almost broke."

Yeah sure, I thought to myself. I hugged him again and went to talk to Rachel.

"That looked a little awkward," She stated.

"Yeah just a bit."

"What's wrong? What'd he say?"

"He just said that he's missed me heaps and that when you told them I wasn't going back his heart almost broke. Some shit like that anyway."

"He was upset," Rachel reasoned.

"Yeah, not too upset though, he had a girlfriend less than 24 hours after getting home. And not to mention a hundred more since then."

"Have you been spying on us?"

"Not really, watching from a distance is a little more correct. Besides, whenever Marco gets a new girlfriend it's all over the front pages of the celebrity magazines and thousands of girls cry themselves to sleep because it's not them."

Rachel laughed, "I bet you're one of them."

"Nah. I'm used to it." I replied with a laugh, "So, what have you been doing that I don't know about?"

"Well, I own a small shop in the mall, everyone's trying to convince me to bring out my own clothing range, Marco wants to incorporate Xena in the title. I'm also writing a book about our lives, it's so dull on paper though, and I'm also considering getting into acting." She told me with a smile, "And what about you?"

"Well, I've been working at a brothel…"

"You've what!!" Rachel yelled, "You had better be joking or else I will kill you."

I laughed at her outburst as the rest of the group came to see what the commotion was about.

"What are you screaming about now Rach?" Jake asked.

"I told Rachel that I've been working in a brothel, I haven't though, I just wanted to see her reaction. You have to admit, it was pretty funny."

"What have you been doing then?"  
"Well my dear brother, I've been working. That's about it. Work has occupied most of my oh so exciting life."

"Where are you working?" Marco asked.

"At a supermarket and a retail store. Eventually I plan on going to collage to study psychology."

"Sounds fun," Rachel commented, "Where are you living? Is it around here?"

"In an apartment on the other side of town." I replied.

"You can move in with Tobias and I," Rachel offered "We've got plenty of spare rooms and we wont have to worry about you leaving again."

"Or you could stay with me," Marco suggested.

"I don't think Renee would appreciate that much Marco. You could move in here though. I'm all alone, except for Bob my imaginary friend." Jake said.

I laughed, "Why don't we all just move into my apartment. I'm not going to choose. Someone write my options down and I'll pull it out of a hat."

Jake quickly found paper, a pen and a hat. He wrote down the options I had, threw them in the hat and made me pick one out.

I pulled out a piece of paper and read it, "Looks like I'm at Rachel's and Tobias's." I said with a grin.

_I kept my promise. I wrote over 1000 words for the chapter. YAY go me. Lol. Now I have to get ready for work… that's not cool. _

_Love Princess Alexis_

_xxx_


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